Buddhism & Meditation

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality. It includes meditation, ways of living well, and ways of thinking about the world. It leads to a more meaningful and satisfying life growing in awareness, kindness and freedom.

The role of community

Buddhism emphasises the need for a community of kindred spirits to help us along this path — without the support and inspiration of like-minded people, it is almost impossible to make much progress. So at Bristol Buddhist Centre one of our aims is to create a spiritual community (Sangha) that helps us all fulfil our spiritual potential. In a world of increasing cynicism and individualism, many people feel a deep need for such an environment.

Meditation

Our life is the creation of our minds. Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind. The Dhammapada

Meditation is a powerful tool for changing our relationship with ourselves and the world. In meditation we use the mind to work directly on the mind, gently becoming aware of ingrained mind-habits and learning how to let them change, freeing us from grooves that have maybe kept us trapped for years.

We use two meditation practices: the Mindfulness of Breathing to cultivate calm and clarity, and Metta Bhavana (loving kindness) to cultivate emotional positivity. To really change our minds means taking an overall approach to life which supports meditation, so we prefer to teach meditation within a context of Buddhism.

Our style of Buddhism

The Buddha lived in India over 2,500 years ago. As his teachings spread around the world they adapted to and were refreshed by the different cultures they encountered, leading to many different schools and styles. Triratna Buddhism is grounded in the core teachings and essential truths of the Buddha, inspired by all the forms of Buddhism, and finds expression relevant for 21st century life.

Come and see for yourself!

The practices of Buddhism have been tried and tested; many thousands of people have enjoyed the inner freedom and satisfaction with life that results. Buddhism doesn’t ask you to believe anything, but to try it for yourself. See our newcomers page for how!

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Our aim is to inspire a culture of generosity in the way we share Buddhist teachings. Therefore all our meditation and Buddhism activities are offered on a generosity basis – what you contribute is left to your generosity. You don't have to give anything if you don't want to or can't afford to, but we hope you'll be able to contribute appropriately so more people can benefit. To learn more see donate.